UTAG gives government 14-day ultimatum to remove GTEC boss over governance concerns

Nii Ayitey Brown 15:17 - 13 April 2026

Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai

UTAG has issued a 14-day ultimatum to government to remove the GTEC Director-General over governance concerns, warning of possible industrial action if demands are not met.

The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government, demanding the removal of the Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, and his deputy, Prof. Augustine Ocloo, over what it describes as persistent governance concerns within the tertiary education sector.

UTAG warned that failure by government to act within the stipulated period would compel the association to “advise itself,” a phrase often interpreted as a precursor to industrial action.

The ultimatum follows months of tension between university lecturers and the leadership of GTEC, with UTAG accusing the commission of overstepping its regulatory mandate and interfering in the autonomy of public universities.

UTAG National President, Prof. Vera Fiador, at a press briefing in Accra, stressed that the demand forms part of a broader set of grievances submitted to government earlier this year including the withdrawal of GTEC’s September 30 circular, which disaccredited some institutions.

UTAG National President, Prof. Vera Ogeh Fiador

UTAG respectfully calls on the President for the following reliefs. The Director-General and Deputy Director-General of GTEC must be relieved of their current roles in order to restore confidence in the tertiary education sector and reset regulatory posture.

The association noted that it had presented a formal petition on February 17, 2026, but had yet to receive a response, prompting the latest action.

UTAG has long argued that the current leadership of GTEC has engaged in what it describes as administrative overreach, including controversial directives on staff retirements, post-retirement contracts and governance decisions within universities.

Earlier in January, UTAG’s University of Ghana chapter warned that such actions were undermining academic freedom and institutional governance, stating that some directives had “veered off” the commission’s legal mandate under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act.

The latest call backs growing frustration among lecturers, with UTAG indicating that continued inaction by the government could trigger further steps, including possible nationwide industrial action.

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